Eisa Jocson

‘Macho Dancing’ is a phenomenon in Philippine night clubs. Here young men dance with bold moves for both male and female customers. The Filipino dancer Eisa Jocson was greeted with frowns when she asked these ‘macho dancers’ if they would teach her their dancing. Why would a girl want to learn to dance like a man? Jocson is fascinated by everything that has to do with the relationship between men and women: power, sex, and by extension, also dance. Moreover, in the phenomenon of ‘macho dancing’ she sees a reflection of Philippine society. She calls it a twisted manifestation of their colonial heritage. ‘From the Spaniards we inherited Catholicism and from the United States capitalism.’ The patriarchal model of the church is dominated by a stereotypical image of man and woman. Even if by his profession the ‘macho dancer’ finds himself on the fringes of society, yet he cultivates a self-image of a strong and confident man. The dominant man is exploited in the macho clubs for female clients who can pay. That is a simple truth of capitalism: whoever has the money has the power.